1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for selectively measuring a received portion of a transmission signal to be applied to an automatic gain control (AGC) system of a receiver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The time division duplex (TDD) and time division multiplex (TDM) systems of spread spectrum wireless communication operate on the principle of repeating frames of data transmission that are divided into successive time slots. In TDD and TDM wireless systems, there is often a significant and sudden variation in received signal strength between one time slot and the next. This is caused by the fact that different transmitters, with possibly different transmit powers, and possibly vastly different path losses to the associated receiver, operate in consecutive time slots. Furthermore there is typically a so-called “guard” period inserted between time slots, during which no unit in the network is allowed to transmit. This causes another significant and sudden variation in signal strength as the allowed transmission period of one time slot ends, followed by the guard period in which no unit transmits, and then followed again by another transmission in the following time slot.
These sudden and often dramatic variations in received signal strength wreak havoc with traditional automatic gain control (AGC) systems. Such systems are typically employed to adjust the receiver gain so that widely varying signal strengths received at the antenna are reduced to more modest variations in signal strength at the A/D converter, the detector or other devices within the receiver. Without such a reduction in the range of signal strengths, the operation of the A/D converter, the detector or other devices within the receiver can be severely impaired or rendered inoperable.
Conventionally, AGC systems employ closed loop control systems which operate on the continuously received signal. The response speed of such AGC systems must often be limited so as to prevent instability and/or prevent the AGC from eliminating the rapid amplitude variations that are an inherent and essential part of many modulation schemes. Therefore, there are contradictory requirements which, on the one hand, call for a slow AGC response (so as to stabilize the system and not eliminate the essential amplitude variations), and on the other hand, call for a rapid AGC response in order to adjust to the rapidly varying received signal strength. It should also be noted that the information at the beginning of a received time slot, before the AGC has time to properly respond, may be lost or useless. In some systems it has been considered necessary to insert a period at the beginning of a time slot transmission in which no information is sent, even though the transmitter is active. Although this gives the receiver's AGC time to respond, this technique wastes precious bandwidth.